DETROIT (Great Lakes News) – A COVID-19 vaccine mandate taking effect is pushing workers to quit at Henry Ford Health System.

Officials with Henry Ford Health System say around 400 employees walked off the job after refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccine to comply with the hospital’s mandate.

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CEO Bob Riney says he wishes the system was not losing any employees. Those leaving account for less than one percent of the organization’s workforce.

The hospital system approved around 1900 exemptions from the vaccine.

Henry Ford was the first Michigan health system to require COVID vaccines for employees.